Race and Membership in American History: The Eugenics Movement Facing History and Ourselves National Foundation, Inc. Brookline, Massachusetts Eugenicstextfinal.qxp 11/6/2006 10:05 AM Page 2 For permission to reproduce the following photographs, posters, and charts in this book, grateful acknowledgement is made to the following: Cover: “Mixed Types of Uncivilized Peoples” from Truman State University. (Image #1028 from Cold Spring Harbor Eugenics Archive, http://www.eugenics archive.org/eugenics/). Fitter Family Contest winners, Kansas State Fair, from American Philosophical Society (image #94 at http://www.amphilsoc.org/ library/guides/eugenics.htm). Ellis Island image from the Library of Congress. Petrus Camper’s illustration of “facial angles” from The Works of the Late Professor Camper by Thomas Cogan, M.D., London: Dilly, 1794. Inside: p. 45: The Works of the Late Professor Camper by Thomas Cogan, M.D., London: Dilly, 1794. 51: “Observations on the Size of the Brain in Various Races and Families of Man” by Samuel Morton. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences, vol. 4, 1849. 74: The American Philosophical Society. 77: Heredity in Relation to Eugenics, Charles Davenport. New York: Henry Holt &Co., 1911. 99: Special Collections and Preservation Division, Chicago Public Library. 116: The Missouri Historical Society. 119: The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit, 1882; John Singer Sargent, American (1856-1925). Oil on canvas; 87 3/8 x 87 5/8 in. (221.9 x 222.6 cm.). Gift of Mary Louisa Boit, Julia Overing Boit, Jane Hubbard Boit, and Florence D. Boit in memory of their father, Edward Darley Boit, 19.124. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. 121: America and Lewis Hine, Photographs 1904-1940, 1977. Aperture, Inc. 143: The American Philosophical Society. 144: Reprinted with per- mission of the American Philosophical Society. (AES Scrapbook #44.) 145: The Ohio Historical Society. 157, 158: Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. XV, “Psychological Examining in the United States Army,” Washington: GPO, 1921. 160: Brigham, Carl. A Study of American Intelligence. Copyright © 1923 by Princeton University Press. Reprinted by permission of Princeton University Press. 168: American School Board Journal, 1922. 197: Truman State University. 212: The Library of Congress. 223: The American Philosophical Society. 245: Cold Spring Harbor (image #672). 247: Racial Hygiene: Medicine Under the Nazis by Robert Proctor. Cambridge, Ma.: Harvard Universtiy Press, 1988. 260: Deutsches Hygiene-Museum. 264: Der Sturmer, April 15, 1943. 278: Volk und Rasse, 1933. Acknowledgement of the many documents and other quotations included in this book may be found at the end of each reading. Every effort has been made to trace and acknowledge owners of copyrighted materials, but in some cases that has proved impossible. Facing History and Ourselves would be pleased to add, correct, or revise such citations in future printings. Copyright © 2002 by Facing History and Ourselves Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved. Facing History and Ourselves ® is a trademark registered in the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Facing History and Ourselves, 16 Hurd Rd., Brookline, MA 02445 (617) 232-1595 Printed in the United States of America ISBN 0-9615841-9-K Third printing ii IN DEDICATION ace and Membership in American History: The Eugenics Movement is dedicat- Red to Seth A. Klarman, chair of the Facing History and Ourselves Board of Directors and president of The Baupost Group, L.L.C., with the utmost grati- tude for his leadership, wisdom, and kindness. As Seth’s partners at Baupost, we considered many ways in which we could honor Seth and express our thanks to him for building such a successful busi- ness. We could think of no better way than highlighting the role he has played in leading Facing History and Ourselves. This critical organization has been so important to Seth’s personal exploration, both intellectual and practical, of social responsibility. Seth, in turn, has devoted his boundless energy and curiosity, good counsel and generosity to helping make Facing History a success. We chose to dedicate this book to Seth because it exemplifies his deep interest in history, his commitment to intellectual rigor, and his strong conviction about the importance of Facing History’s mission—and not least, because he has read and reviewed every word in draft form. Seth and his wife Beth, who chairs the New England Regional Advisory Board, are vital members of the Facing History family. They have dedicated their time and philanthropy to the organization because they know that Facing History addresses some of the most difficult issues facing our society—the hatreds that exist in our world and how we confront them. Together, their dedication has made a difference to the work of Facing History. We thank Seth for his hard work on our behalf, the high standard he sets, and his vision that has helped build successful organizations. His ability to combine the best in philanthropy and business with a commitment to family sets a model and helps make the world a better place. With sincere thanks and true friendship, Thomas W. Blumenthal Paul C. Gannon Scott A. Nathan Samuel Plimpton iii CONTENTS Foreword vii Preface viii Overview x 1. Science Fictions and Social Realities 1 1. What Do We Do with a Variation? 2 2. Eye of the Beholder 4 3. Beyond Classification 8 4. “What Is Your Race?” 13 5. “Passing” 17 6. Race and Racism 20 7. Challenging Limits 26 8. The Masterpiece Society 31 2. Race, Democracy, and Citizenship 34 1. Who Is Human? 36 2. Who Is Equal? 39 3. Ranking Humankind 43 4. Science and Prejudice 47 5. Science, Skulls, and Mustard Seeds 51 6. Race and Citizenship 55 7. Challenging Racism 58 3. Evolution, “Progress,” and Eugenics 62 1. From Darwin to Social Darwinism 63 2. “Race Improvement” 68 3. The Laws of Heredity 71 4. Eugenics and the Promise of “Progress” 74 5. Tracking Inherited Traits 77 6. All in the Family 82 7. Raising Questions 86 iv 4. In an Age of “Progress” 90 1. “Marvels of a Marvelous Age” 92 2. The End of the Frontier 96 3. A Celebration of “Progress” 99 4. “Progress,” Civilization, and “Color-Line Murder” 105 5. Doors to Opportunity 109 6. Taking Up the “White Man’s Burden” 113 7. Disparities 119 8. “Progress” and Poverty 124 9. Rumors and Fears 129 10.”The Kind of World We Lived In” 133 5. Eugenics and the Power of Testing 140 1. Science, Eugenics, and Propaganda 142 2. Targeting the “Unfit” 146 3. Identifying the “Unfit” 151 4. Revising the Test 156 5. Fears of Declining Intelligence 160 6. Racism and Intelligence Test Scores 164 7. Limiting Opportunity 167 8. Challenging Racial Assumptions 172 9. Intelligence Testing Today 176 6. Toward Civic Biology 181 1. What Did You Learn in School Today? 182 2. Eugenics, Race, and Marriage 187 3. Controlling the “Unfit” 191 4. “Three Generations of Imbeciles”? 195 5. Apology or “Regrets”? 201 7. Eugenics, Citizenship, and Immigration 206 1. Guarded Gates or an Open Door? 207 2. From an Immigrant’s Perspective 211 3. Who May Enter? 214 v Eugenicstextfinal.qxd 4/13/2004 2:09 PM Page 6 4. Race and Citizenship 216 5. War, Immigration, and Hysteria 220 6. Restricting Immigration 223 7. The Debate in Congress 226 8. “A Defensive Action” 232 9. Immigration and Racism 235 8. The Nazi Connection 240 1. Eugenicists, Democrats, and Dictators 242 2. The American Influence 244 3. ”Thinking Biologically” 247 4. Ideas Have Consequences 251 5. Under the Cover of Law 256 6. Citizenship and “Racial Enemies” 262 7. Eugenics and American Public Policy 266 8. Honorary Degrees and Propaganda 269 9. Protesting Eugenic Policies 272 10. New Discoveries 275 11. “Where Is this Path Taking Us?” 278 12. Confronting a “Twisted Science” 283 9. Legacies and Possibilities 288 1. The Unknown Citizen 290 2. “The Whole Is Not the Sum of Its Parts” 292 3. Is Race “Skin Deep”? 295 4. The Power of Stereotypes 302 5. Measuring Intelligences 310 6. Trends in Genetic Research 315 7. Will Genetic Research Lead to Eugenic Policies? 320 8. Raising Moral Questions 324 9. The Power of History 331 For Further Investigation 334 Index 344 vi FOREWORD ace and Membership in American History: The Eugenics Movement has been a long R.time in coming. After years of revising drafts, piloting lessons in classrooms, and infusing ideas into institutes, we now have a special book that I believe was worth the wait. The book asks us to rethink what we know about our own past. While barely remem- bered today, the eugenics movement represents a moral fault line in our history. It was a movement that defined differences in terms of racially superior and inferior human traits. Because these ideas were promoted in the name of science and education, they had a dra- matic impact on public policies and the lives of ordinary people at the time and, in turn, created legacies that are still with us today. The eugenics movement is not a historical footnote. It is a fundamental chapter in our history that ought to be examined in our classrooms. When I first began research on eugenics in 1993, I sensed there was an important story to be told. That story became a manuscript that I completed in 1997. It is now a book that has been rewritten, edited, and commented upon by many people. Often overlooked are those who volunteered their time to comb archives and correspond with scholars. I will not forget the research efforts of Debbie Karpel, Lisa Rivo, Charlie Putnam, Kirsten Greenidge, and Lisa Middents. I thank them very much. I would like to acknowledge the scholars who have taught me so much about the forgot- ten history of eugenics and who have also taken the time to review drafts of this book.